Published on 6 December 2023

HIV still isn’t over, particularly for young women, with thousands of new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women each week. If we are to narrow the HIV knowledge gaps that are holding back faster progress, access to trusted health information must be a reality for all. That’s why at the heart of Avert's mission is our commitment to co-creating high-quality, context-appropriate resources tailored to the needs of those most affected by HIV and poor sexual health.

In 2022-23, through our digital communications work, we touched the lives of millions of individuals through social media and the web, and supported many thousands of community health workers (CHWs) and frontline health practitioners to serve their communities.

Over the past year our work remained rooted in a sex-positive and pleasure-inclusive approach, which evidence shows increases impact on sexual health. By providing accessible, inclusive and judgment-free content – that is accurate, reliable, and engaging – we supported personal agency and empowered individuals to make informed choices about their sexual health and well-being.

Developing health literacy resources that not only inform but also dismantle stigma and misinformation can create a new norm, one that values inclusion, evidence, openness and clarity. That’s why this year has seen us build on our commitment to support advice seekers, educators and health practitioners, and reach the people who most need trustworthy, accessible and action-oriented information.

2022-23 headlines

Be in the KNOW, our flagship digital brand, reached over 13 million people in its first 12 months. User feedback reflects its effectiveness, with 67% finding the information easy to understand, and 81% more likely to take action on their sexual health as a result. Be in the KNOW offers fresh, sex-positive content for individuals and CHWs in sub-Saharan Africa and is accredited by the independent PIF TICK quality kitemark.
Boost, our flagship digital job-aide for CHWs and peer educators, was accessed by nearly 35,000 people through our web and app platforms. Boost provides up-to-date, interactive information materials on HIV, sexual health, and primary health issues to enhance CHWs’ knowledge, skills and confidence. In Zimbabwe , our partnership with national NGO OPHID saw Boost embedded within their programmes and used by hundreds of their Community Outreach agents to carry out thousands of screenings and referrals in their communities.
Young Africa Live, a digital platform providing young people in South Africa with a safe space to ask questions about sex, relationships, and HIV, across chatbot and social media, engaged 70,000 users in meaningful online conversations. Our involvement as content and social media marketing lead in this initiative led by South African organisations Reach Digital Health , and supported by the Elton John AIDS foundation , reflects our commitment to understanding and addressing young people's challenges.
Yaya, our life skills app for low-literacy girls in Mozambique, developed for VSO as part of their EAGLE project, reached over 550 adolescent girls with a range of essential SRHR information within a vibrant and relatable audio app, recorded in two local languages. Closely co-created with end-users, Yaya is a testament to the relevance of digital solutions for marginalised populations, providing a flexible, home-based learning solution.

Collaboration and partnerships: the key to our success

Collaboration and partnerships are the bedrock of our programmes’ success. We increased our engagement with a broad range of organisations across the HIV, sexual health, digital and behaviour change sectors to support collaboration, avoid duplication, and enhance our wider understanding and effectiveness. Over the year we continued to leverage technology and context-specific knowledge, alongside user-centred design principles, to create realistic solutions that effectively meet the needs of those we serve.

Alongside this, during the year we worked harder to share more of the knowledge and expertise that we have built up from all our products and partnerships. We presented our work and learning at four international conferences as well as participating in numerous other networks and events across the sector.

As we move forward, Avert remains committed to our 2021-24 global strategy, From knowledge to action, aiming to close gaps in HIV and sexual health knowledge, confidence, and skills. We will continue prioritising the needs of our diverse audiences and working in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We will also continue to stay flexible to the changing HIV, sexual health and digital landscapes.

Thank you for being part of our journey and for your ongoing support.

It’s been great having Avert’s expertise in developing engaging, sex positive content on the Young Africa Live project.

The year in numbers

Boost reached 35,000 community health workers/peer educators.
Over 81% of Be in the KNOW visitors more likely to take action on HIV and sexual health.
70,000 young users in South Africa engaged in online conversations on relationships and sexuality.
Yaya life skills app reached over 550 low-literacy girls in Mozambique.
Avert learning presented at four international conferences.
Be in the KNOW content reached over 36 million Facebook and Instagram users, supporting their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Photo credit: Hilton Matyatya